Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce

Events & Updates

The California Chamber of Commerce continues to seek technical changes to state regulations proposed to implement the New Parent Leave Act (NPLA) and the statewide ban-the-box law, which both went into effect on January 1.
These laws amend the state Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
In September, a CalChamber-led coalition sent a letter urging the Fair Employment and Housing Council (FEHC) to clarify the overly broad and confusing regulations because they make it difficult for employers to comply. The council has since revised its regulations and the coalition submitted additional comments because the draft regulations still are confusing for employers.
Regulating Criminal History Checks
California’s new ban-the-box law prohibits employers with five or more employees from asking job candidates about any criminal background before making a conditional job offer. It is a broader prohibition on the use of criminal history information than the regulations the FEHC adopted last year that went into effect on July 1, 2017.
The latest FEHC proposal is an attempt to merge the new law with the pre-existing regulations, setting forth rules and procedures for when and how an employer can receive criminal history information about a job applicant.
AB 1008 (McCarty; D-Sacramento) was introduced on February 16, 2017 and signed...

The Greater Irvine Chamber will host the fifth annual Orange County World Trade Week (OCWTW) Breakfast and Forum on Thursday, May 16, 2019, 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., at the Irvine Marriott, 18000 Von Karman Ave.
The OCWTW 2019 program will feature a keynote address by a representative from Experian Decision Analytics; an Export Success Panel discussion; and; and an International Resource EXPO.
Returning are Founding and Presenting Sponsor UPS, and Champion Sponsor HSBC.
OCWTW brings together Orange County’s International-American chambers and business associations, public sector and private trade organizations, and members of business community to grow awareness of the impact of international trade and export in Orange County.
Gaining in popularity, OCWTW drew an audience of more than 550 attendees last year, more than double that of its inaugural 2015 event.
Register here for OCWTW 2019.
For sponsorship, partnership, or general inquiries, contact Jessica Yip.
For press inquiries, contact Anna Spitz.

For her high-level of engagement, Renae Brown, project manager for 2010 Office Furniture, has been named the Greater Irvine Chamber September 2018 Member of the Month.
Shortly after joining the Chamber upon the recommendation of Sophia Rose, a Chamber member and former business development manager for 2010 Office Furniture, Brown volunteered for the April 2018 Business Outreach Rally, conducting research on behalf of the Chamber and providing area businesses with copies of the Chamber’s Business Outreach Resource Guide, which features information about support resources offered through the Chamber and its partner organizations.
At the first opportunity, she also became a part the Wednesday Morning Leads Group. Because of that, and as a regular attendee at Chamber Networkers Luncheons and evening mixers, Brown has been able to effectively increase her network of business professionals from a variety of industries in just a short period of time.
“Being a part of the Chamber has become an exceptional tool for networking,” Brown said. “Building the relationships with other members has been instrumental and meaningful to me. I can’t wait to continue this process.”
Offering the highest quality office furniture for large and small businesses, 2010 Office Furniture is one of Southern California’s premium dealers of new and...

As part of the Greater Irvine Chamber’s 2018 Life Science Showcase event, life science company executives from throughout the U.K. made their way to UC Irvine.
In collaboration with UCI Applied Innovation, the Greater Irvine Chamber hosted 10 executives from U.K.-owned life science companies to position Southern California and UCI as a strong global brand for innovation and entrepreneurship. Applied Innovation worked closely with the Chamber to promote industry cluster growth in the region.
U.K. life science company executives join the Greater Irvine Chamber
and UCI Applied Innovation executives for a lunchtime presentation
at the Cove @ UCI. Photo: Michelle Mar
“When you study the facts, every indicator reveals that the Irvine/Orange County innovation ecosystem is stronger and more competitive than most people know,” said Linda DiMario, Greater Irvine Chamber executive vice president of economic development and tourism. “Our life science and technology sector companies are leaders in their fields. And when the cost of doing business in Boston and Silicon Valley is 25 to 50 percent greater than doing business here, we can claim that Irvine/Orange County delivers a cost-effective, accessible, highly interactive and collaborative environment.”
This three-day event provided the visiting U.K. executives with the opportunity to consult with Irvine professionals, including a few from UCI, on potential...